Sewing machine fabric-cutting device

ABSTRACT

Although there are alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention, one being capable of performing different functions in the use thereof relative to the other, the common improvement as compared to prior art relates to novel structure and engineering thereof which makes possible the cutting of fabric in a manner heretofore possible in conventional prior art cutters as well as the alternate embodiments, but with both preferred embodiments being possible in conjunction with additional conventional other functions which heretofore with the prior machines were possible solely by the use of alternate separate sewing machines or by major modification of the platform structure when alternating between the alternate functions. In particular, the present invention makes use of a mounting of the to-and-fro vertically reciprocating blade mounted on support and drive structure which is located above the cutting edge extending from upper super-structure of the sewing machine whereby lateral positions relative to the sewing needle and the blade lower cutting edge is devoid of obstructing structure such that it is possible to mount convention lateral feed guide structure on the sewing machine platform lateral to the sewing needle in a conventional manner which ordinarily would have required a separate platform arrangement provided by a separate alternate sewing machine not capable of a fabric cutting function, because prior fabric cutting sewing machines occupied the now-free-space such that the obstructed space of prior machines could not mount the lateral fabric-feeding devices.

[4 1 Mar. 18, 1975 United States Patent [191 Galya et al.

[ SEWING MACHINE FABRIC-CUTTING forming different functions in the use thereof relative DEVICE to the other, the common improvement as compared to prior art relates to novel structure and engineering thereof which makes possible the cutting of fabric in a manner heretofore possible in conventional prior art cutters as well as the alternate embodiments, but with both preferred embodiments being possible in conjunction with additional conventional other functions [22] Filed: Dec. 10, 1973 App! NO 423 235 which heretofore with the prior machines were possible solely by the use of alternate separate sewing machines or by major modification of the latform struc- [52] U S Cl 112/122 p ture when alternating between the alternate functions.

Int. D05b 37/06 In particular, the present invention makes use of a [58] Field of Search mounting of the to-and-fro vertically reciprocating blade mounted on support and drive structure which is [56] References Cited located above the cutting edge extending from upper UNITED STATES PATENTS super-structure of the sewing machine whereby lateral positions relative to the sewing needle and the blade lower cutting edge is devoid of obstructing structure such that it is possible to mount convention lateral feed guide structure on the sewing machine platform lateral to the sewing needle in a conventional manner Kucera.......,........ Hacklander.........

which ordinarily would have required a separate platform arrangement provided by a separate alternate l,34l,565 9/1963 l12/l22 sewing machine not capable of a fabric cutting funcl H H H tion, because prior fabric cutting sewing machines oc- P'lmary "ammerampton unter cupied the now-free-space such that the obstructed space of prior machines could not mount the lateral fabric-feeding devices.

[57] ABSTRACT Although there are alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention, one being capable of per- 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures FXP ENTEU BAR I 8 ISTS SHEET 1 [)F 3 PRIOR ART FIG-.2

PATENTEUHAR 1 818. 5

FIG.5

SHEET 3 BF 3 SEWING MACHINE FABRIC-CUTTING DEVICE This invention relates to a sewing machine having a novel cutting structure and design thereof such that the machine is adaptable to other utilities as well.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION DISCLOSURE Prior to the present invention, prior sewing machines which include cutters for cutting the fabric in a position in juxtaposition and lateral to the sewing machine foot and sewing needle positions, required substantial mounting structure on the surface of the platform and with the mounting structure in a location lateral to the sewing machine foot and sewing needle positions such that there remained no free space nor room for the mounting of alternate accessary devices such as a fabric lateral-feed guide for feeding a fabric or strip thereof laterally toward the sewing machine foot and sewing needle, because the prior art cutter mounting structure and lever structure thereto obstructed the such free space and frustrated the possibility of additional accessory mounts at such locations. Accordingly, excessive additional expense has been occasioned prior to the present invention because of alternate machines were required for the manufacturer for different functions in the process of manufacture and this cost of operation made imperative the manufacturer either to go out of business or to find less expensive and less costly possibilities of operation and manufacture, as well as there being desirable the possibility of a new machine to be utilizable for additionally new functions, all of which make possible the providing of final consumer products to the consumer at more economical and reasonable prices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION DISCLOSURE Accordingly, objects of the present invention include avoiding and overcoming problems of the type discussed above encountered with prior machines.

Another object is to obtain new and novel utilities heretofore obtainable or possible with alternate separate pluralities of machines and/or constructions thereof.

Another object is to make possible prior functions of prior machines at savings in cost of machinery and production.

Another object is to a machine of efficient structure and operation thereof, including ease of access to parts, simplicity of parts, and safety to the operator.

Other objects become apparent from the preceding and following disclosure.

One or more objects of the present invention are obtained by the invention as described herein.

Broadly the invention includes a sewing machine constructed for the cutting of fabric in the vicinity of the sewing machine foot and sewing needle in position(s) substantially lateral to the direction of feed of fabric to the sewing machine foot and sewing needle, with the mounting structure and leverage structure for a reciprocating blade reciprocatable in an upright plane preferably vertical on guide structure all being locate on out-of-the-way location above the level of the cutting operation such that free space is provided lateral to the cutting blade and lateral to the sewing machine foot and needle structure, the free-space being made available for the utilization of other sewing machine conventional or otherwise desirable accessory devices such as a lateral fabric-feeding device mountable within the free-space mountable on the platform at that location, which accessory structure could heretofore be use on non-fabric cutting machines of the type discussed above, because of the prior cutting machines obstruction of this free space by the blademounting and blade-leverage structure of the prior machines. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the leverage means is operatively connected to the one or more cutting blades at one end of the leverage structure and the driving end receiving the driving torque is operatively connected to a rotatable eccentric drive shaft in a preferred embodiment, the eccentricity of which brings about a reciprocatable motion of the driving leverage structure, in alternate embodiments the leverage extending in alternate directions from the blade in being connected to the eccentric lever drive shaft, such as one leverage mechanism extending rearwardly initially from the eccentric drive while in an alternate embodiment the leverage mechanism is extending forwardly initially from the eccentric drive shaft as in a preferred embodiment making possible the convenient and operative anterior spacing of the cutting blade(s) forwardly while being off-set laterally to alignment with the sewing needle as set forth above, the anterior permitting the cutting of the fabric prior to the passing of the thereby cut fabric under the foot and needle. In a further modified embodiment there is provided two spaced-apart parallel blades for trimming each of opposite side edges of the fabric strip before the feeding of cut fabric therebetween to the intermediately aligned foot and needle structure.

The invention may be better understood by reference to the following referred-to Figures.

THE FIGURES FIG. 1 illustrates a front perspective view of a typical prior art sewing machine having a fabric-trimming cutter laterally adjacent the sewing machine foot and needle mechanisms.

FIG. 2 illustrates an in-part view of an embodiment of the present view in back perspective view.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side in-part cross-sectional view as taken along lines 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a front in-part view as taken along lines 44 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment to that of FIGS. 1 through 4, this embodiments view being comparable to that of FIG. 3 of the first illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a front in-part view as taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5 embodiment, the view corresponding to the FIG. 4 illustration of the first illustrated embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates an in-part view, as a front view of an alternative variation of the FIG. 6 embodiment, this embodiment of FIG. 7 having spaced-apart front-view cutters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION DISCLOSURE In greater detail, FIGS. 1 through 4 illustrate a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a second embidoment of the invention as a preferred embodiment thereof, while FIG. 7 illustrates a still further preferred variation on the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6.

In particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 4, there is disclosed an embodiment which can be better understood by reference to the prior art FIG. 1 for comparison purposes. It will be noted that the sewing machine of FIG. 1 prior art includes a fabric trimming cutter a having a support arm b mounted pivotably on axis and reciprocatable of the cutter a upwardly and downwardly by the vertically reciprocating arm d pivotably attached to the arm b; it is noteworthy and important to note that in this prior art structure, the arm b extends axially laterally in directions e within the space g lateral to the sewing machine foot and needle structures. Accordingly, because of the space g being fully occupied by the above-noted structures of the cutter mechanism of the prior art embodiments, the space g is obstructed against the use or possibility of use of other accessory attachments such as a laterally mountable strip feed of the type illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4 of the present inventive illustration. This points out the main reason underlying the inventive structure, as noted above in the background discussion and objects of the invention, namely to provide a sewing machine which may achieve a trimming cutter function while providing unobstructed space lateral to the foot and needle mechanism, as well as other advantages noted in the above and following description of the present invention.

Accordingly, FIG. 2 illustrates a sewing machine combination 7 having main support structure 8 as generally designated, with a rotable shaft 11 mounted for to and fro rotation imparted thereto through the clamp 11a pivotably connected to the end of axially reciprocatable lever arm 11b mounted at its forward end eccentrically on the drive shaft 110 (see FIGS. 3 and by bearing structure 11d fixedly mounted to the shaft arm llb. Accordingly, pumping movement is imparted to blade support 20d through the pivotably connected end of arm 17 which arm 17 pivots at fulcrum point axis 18 mounted in axis support structure 19, for pumping action through the pivot pin lever 17 end joint 16 connection to the upright lever 13. As best viewable in FIGS. 3 and 4, the blade support 20 is mounted on parallel vertical guides 21a and 21b adjustably mounted by lock-screw nuts 210 within blade-mounting structure 22 mounted by screw nuts 23a and 23b on the support structure 8. Accordingly, the blade 20c is mounted for to and fro vertical reciprocatable motion along the guides 21a and 21b in a position lateral to the sewing machine foot 9 and needle 10, while the lever mechanism described above does not obstruct the lateral space 27 (which corresponds to the prior art obstructed space g), whereby the various laterallymountable accessories conventionally available for sewing machines having available lateral space, are mountable lateral to the sewing machine needle and cutter blade 20, as for example the conventional type of lateral strip feeder as illustrated in phantom as typical of any conventional or otherwise desirable accessory conveniently utilizable in this position. Such has been impossible with the heretofore available prior art machines.

As a preferred structure, there is provided an edge and depression-cup within the platform upper face as identified as structure 29 of FIG. 4 in cut-away view which edge acts with the downwardly thrust cutting edge to sever the fabric passed horizontally along the platform upper surface in conventional manner, and the cut fabric conveniently falling downwardly into the cup-like depression to thereby avoid the severed portion-scraps from accidentally becoming tangled with or drug along with the trimmed sewed fabric.

The embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 basically correspond to that of FIGS. 1 through 4, except that the FIGS. 5 and 6 embodiment have the lever arm (for imparting the pumping motion) projecting forwardly out of the front of the machine structure and the lever 17' is lifted and dropped around pivot axis 18' by the vertical lever 13 pivoted through joint axis 14 as driven by lever 12 as pumped by axis 11' through joint 11a axially reciprocated lever 11b connected by bearing element 11d around eccentric shaft member 11c, for the sewing machine combination 7; the purpose of the forward lever mechanism is to facilitate to more forwardly projected blade support structure 22a having flange 22' mounted on the general support structure of the sewing machine, such that the fabric trim cutting is achieved far in front of the sewing machine foot 9 and needle 10', but still aligned in a plane lateral to the foot and needle for proper trimming. Otherwise, the structures and elements as represented by the primes of the previously recited numerals correspond to those previously recited numerals, except for the location of elements such as the joint structure 16' and the axis 15, for example, and similarly for the support structure 18' in which the pivot axis 18a is mounted for reciprical pivoting of the arm 17'.

In the FIG. 7 embodiment, all parts and function correspond to those of the FIGS. 5 and 6 embodiment, excepting the presence of spaced-apart blades 20cc and 20cc mounted on blade support 28 in substitution for the FIGS. 5 and 6 blade 20 mounted in its support 20d. By this arrangement, each of opposite sides of a scrap strip may be trimmed before feeding the strip to the foot and needle mechanism, together with the utilization of any desired laterally-mountable accessory such as that illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4.

It is within the scope and spirit of the present invention to make such modifications and variations and substitution of obvious equivalents as would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in this particular art.

We claim:

1. A sewing machine device comprising in combination: a cutter blade means including a first lower cutting edge and an upper mounting structure, an upright guide means for guiding the blade means lower cutting edge and upper mounting structure upwardly and downwardly reciprocatably, means slidably mounting the upper mounting structure on the upright guide means with the lower cutting edge extending fore-to-aft in direction, a sewing machine foot and needle sewing means positioned in juxtaposition and lateral to the cutter blade means and to said fore-to-aft direction, and drive means operatively connected to the upper mounting structure for reciprocating the upper mounting structure in to and fro motion along the upright guide means, the upright guide means including at least two uprightly extending guide tracks in which the upper mounting structure is slidably mounted, the drive means including a power-driven eccentric shaft, and a lever means including a plurality of interconnected levers extending operatively between and connected to each of the eccentric shaft and the upper mounting structure for translating rotary motion of the eccentric shaft into to and fro reciprocating motion of the upper mounting structure, the lever means including lever- 6 spaced laterally to the first lower cutting edge and located in an opposite direction from and lateral to the sewing machine foot and needle sewing means relative to the first lower cutting edge, and spaced anteriorly to the sewing machine foot and needle sewing means about in alignment with the first lower cutting edge. 

1. A sewing machine device comprising in combination: a cutter blade means including a first lower cutting edge and an upper mounting structure, an upright guide means for guiding the blade means'' lower cutting edge and upper mounting structure upwardly and downwardly reciprocatably, means slidably mounting the upper mounting structure on the upright guide means with the lower cutting edge extending fore-to-aft in direction, a sewing machine foot and needle sewing means positioned in juxtaposition and lateral to the cutter blade means and to said fore-to-aft direction, and drive means operatively connected to the upper mounting structure for reciprocating the upper mounting structure in to and fro motion along the upright guide means, the upright guide means including at least two uprightly extending guide tracks in which the upper mounting structure is slidably mounted, the drive means including a power-driven eccentric shaft, and a lever means including a plurality of interconnected levers extending operatively between and connected to each of the eccentric shaft and the upper mounting structure for translating rotary motion of the eccentric shaft into to and fro reciprocating motion of the upper mounting structure, the lever means including lever-mounting structure mounting the levers at locations above the lower cutting edge.
 2. A sewing machine device of claim 1, in which the Cutter blade means is spaced anteriorly to the sewing machine foot and needle sewing means.
 3. A sewing machine device of claim 2, in which the cutter blade means includes a second lower cutting edge separate from the first lower cutting edge and spaced laterally to the first lower cutting edge and located in an opposite direction from and lateral to the sewing machine foot and needle sewing means relative to the first lower cutting edge, and spaced anteriorly to the sewing machine foot and needle sewing means about in alignment with the first lower cutting edge. 